The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are over and France is basking in the glory of its success in hosting them amid spectacular historic landmarks with no major glitches.
Organisers enjoyed an "I told you so" moment after naysayers were proven wrong and France was gripped at the last-minute by the excitement of the Games, as its athletes broke previous medal records.
"For two weeks, the air was lighter," said President Emmanuel Macron on Monday in a speech at the Elysee Palace.
"Everyone told us we couldn't do it. Thank you, you did it," he said, speaking to representatives of those who worked on the Olympics, including police officers, medical staff and firefighters.
Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet described his job as a "marathon against the pessimists and all those who predicted a catastrophe".
"The Games were even better than imagined," he said in a radio interview.
Sweaty but happy, crowds walked out of the Stade de France, the main Olympic stadium, on Sunday evening after a spectacular closing ceremony, still high from the excitement of dancing the night away with 9,000 athletes.
The handover to Los Angeles 2028 was embodied by the dramatic appearance of Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, who abseiled into the stadium.
The Mission Impossible actor landed right beside people sitting in the front row, including Jeremy, 37, and his mother Therese, 68.
Their T-shirts drenched in sweat and a smile plastered on their faces, Jeremy and Therese walked in the hot summer night towards the nearest metro station, where volunteers greeted the crowd with placards that read "thank you" and "see you soon".
"It was one big party. It felt good," said Jeremy. Their front-row seats meant they were able to mingle with athletes as they celebrated their wins under the eyes of 80,000 spectators and about 9.5 million television viewers.
The reputation of Paris, already one of the world's most popular destinations, has been further enhanced abroad.
"I’ve been here a couple days and haven’t seen so many beautiful things in my entire life,’ said Edmund Sin, 27, from New York.
There was beach volleyball in front of the Eiffel Tower, fencing and taekwondo under the glass vaults of the Grand Palais and an enchanting golden hot-air balloon carrying the Olympic flame hovering above the Tuileries Gardens every night.
All the competitions scheduled to take place in the Seine river went ahead despite concerns over its polluted water after a clean-up effort that cost €1.4 billion ($1.53 billion).
Hosting successful mass sporting events in places designed for vastly different purposes hundreds of years ago was a feat that was saluted around the world.
"The Olympics needed a reset. Merci Paris for providing it," wrote The Washington Post. Meanwhile, The Telegraph described the Games as "sumptuous, seductive and laced with scandal".
There were some glitches but not enough to derail the Games. A few hours before the opening ceremony, part of the railway network was hit by sabotage, raising fears of security attacks. It was quickly fixed.
France was thrilled by the open-air opening ceremony along the Seine despite some complaints in conservative circles over apparent disrespect of Christian biblical scenes. This interpretation was rejected by organisers who said they wanted to celebrate diversity.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif became embroiled in a gender eligibility controversy and filed a harassment complaint in France. Her gold medal and her wide smile at the closing ceremony trumped the bitterness caused by the row. Fans outside the stadium said they were proud of her.
"She has been the target of racists, transphobes and Islamophobes," said Nabil, 22, who came without a ticket to the closing ceremony to enjoy the atmosphere, wearing an Algeria football shirt. "She's a source of pride for Algeria."
Many hope France will be gripped by similar excitement for the Paralympics, which will run from August 28-September 8.
Yet sales have been slow, with more than a million tickets – roughly half the total – left unsold. Mr Estanguet said on Monday that momentum was picking up and tickets were selling five times faster than before the Olympic Games started.
But there is a creeping feeling that the best part of the party has come to a close. "It feels weird to think these Olympic Games are over," added Mr Estanguet.
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Year Earth Changed
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bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
